


all the lonely people, where do they all belong?

by serendiptitty



Series: purrhaps i was blind? [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Kissing, Marichat, Panic Attacks, Pre-Reveal Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-11
Updated: 2019-12-11
Packaged: 2021-02-18 16:34:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21730501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serendiptitty/pseuds/serendiptitty
Summary: Snow fell from the charcoal sky in waves, blanketing the ground in a pristine white layer. It glistened in the Parisian lights, crunching under Adrien's snow boots. With a tilt of his head, Adrien let the snow hit his pale face, eyes slipping shut.It was the realest he'd felt in ages.or, Adrien is lonely, and Marinette helps him (as Chat Noir).
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: purrhaps i was blind? [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1571728
Comments: 43
Kudos: 413





	all the lonely people, where do they all belong?

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to Van for letting me scream to her about this painful writing while it was being done..... hope you guys enjoy!
> 
> also this is poorly, hastily beta'd. please ignore any glaring mistakes! i will go through this and edit it soon!!!

Snow fell from the charcoal sky in waves, blanketing the ground in a pristine white layer. It glistened in the Parisian lights, crunching under Adrien's snow boots. With a tilt of his head, Adrien let the snow hit his pale face, eyes slipping shut. 

It was the realest he'd felt in ages. 

Truth be told, Adrien never felt incredibly real, _especially_ growing up. The metaphorical—and literal—cage his parents kept him locked in did wonders to his people skills. Once Emilie disappeared, his father erupted into this dictator-like figure in his life. 

That year between his mother's disappearance and his start at _Collège Françoise Dupont_ could be described by one word and one word only: loneliness. Material wise, Adrien had it all, but he lacked genuine human connection. He craved physical touches. Squeezes of the shoulder, gently grabbing his elbow to halt his movements, ruffling his hair. Taking his hand to guide him somewhere, a hand on his back, bumping hips with his, an arm wrapped around his shoulder. Arms enveloped around his body, sharing their personal warmth. Kisses on his cheek. 

Humans were physical creatures, he'd learned one day in science. They needed touch to survive emotional hardships, which Adrien was lacking.

His heart ached and yearned for all of that. Sometimes, he received some of them, and when he did, he couldn't help himself by holding onto them. Like when Nino and him fist-bumped after a particularly crude joke, or when Alya punched them both in the shoulder afterwards. Marinette's gentle shoulder touches when he spaced out, coaxing him back into reality one squeeze at a time. Ladybug's nose boops if he were being cheeky—Ladybug's _hugs_ after a rough Akuma attack. Even Chloe's presence, after she would drag him away from Lila's wandering hands, Chloe's arm looped through his own. 

They'd shown him a whole new world of affection, one that wasn't purely emotional. One that was locked away after Emilie's disappearance, when his father transitioned from a moderately decent father figure into a cold, distant person.

There were times when he wondered whether his father truly loved him, or if he was just holding onto Adrien for his resemblance to his mother. That, once he'd fulfilled what his father wanted from him, he'd be emotionally thrown to the curb, lost and forgotten. 

It was one of his biggest fears, truly. It was why he pushed so hard for Ladybug's affections as Chat Noir—that and his lack of developed people skills. He was afraid that once his father imminently dropped him, the love he received from his friends wouldn't be enough. Scared that he'd spiral into an emotionless descent, one where he lacked empathy and humanness. One like his father's current path. 

No. Adrien was destined for more than that. He _had_ to be. 

The temperature in Paris had dropped overnight, leaving Adrien ill-equipped for the cold. His long fingers were cramped in his jacket pockets, nose and cheeks flushed a beautiful red. The scarf Gabriel had given to him a few birthday's ago was wound securely around his neck. He was sporting a light-colored beanie that kept his ears warm, a pair of thicker pants, and his Gabriel trademarked snow boots. 

"I told you to bring your heated gloves," Plagg teased, nestled against Adrien's collarbone, where the fabric layered the most. The kwami was purring into his skin. "You should listen to me more often. And give me more cheese while you're at it."

"Shut up," Adrien grumbled, albeit his lips twitched up the slightest. "I'll have you know, " he started, flexing his fingers in his pockets for warmth. "Camembert is quite expensive." 

The purring stopped. "You're rich," Plagg stated bluntly, voice flat. 

"Ah, but what if I wasn't rich, Plagg? What would you do then when your supply of ridiculously expensive and disgustingly smelly cheese ran out?"

"Get a new chosen," Plagg muttered sourly, prodding Adrien's skin with one of his claws.

Adrien scoffed, shoving his hands deeper into his pockets. “As if! You know you love me Pla—”. He stopped mid-step on the sidewalk, eyes flickering to his left at the sound of light giggles and laughter. Across the street, he saw Alya, Nino, and Marinette shoving and pushing one another, not a care in the world. 

It would be so easy to walk over there and join them, to enjoy their touches and adoration. He nearly walked over there, hand slightly stretched out in their direction, yet he didn’t want to break their bubble. 

He knew he wasn’t a bother to them, he was sure of it. It wasn’t that—was it? He trusted the three of them more than anyone else, besides Ladybug. There was a feeling he couldn’t shake, though. Maybe it was his own self-deprecation. 

Soon, he glanced back in their direction, the three of them were wrapped in a tight hug, squishing their faces together. Snow was falling around them and they ignored it in favor of one another. He briefly heard Marinette bid goodbye to Alya and Nino, starting off in the direction of her house. Sharply, he turned away so his back was visible to her, heart racing as if he was about to get caught watching them creepily from afar. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Marinette walking, spinning around in a circle as she went. She was so carefree, in ways he wished he was. He had Chat Noir for that, but he wanted _Adrien_ to be able to experience it, too. 

She looked _so_ soft in her puffy jacket and beanie, red earmuffs to top it off. Her scarf, red as well, came up high on her face, covering her mouth from the brisk wind. Even from across the street, he could see the rosy dusting along her otherwise pale cheeks. 

He wasn’t sure if it was the loneliness talking or if he was finally coming to terms with his thoughts, but he wanted to touch her. To wrap her up in his arms and hold her close to his chest. Maybe bury his nose in her hair, see if she smelled as sweet as she looked. _Dieu_ he wanted to hold her hand, to warm them up in his own, blow warm air onto them. 

Then, she was gone.

With a sigh, he wrapped his arms around himself and turned in the other direction, cheeks aflame. He felt dejected, at the idea of not being invited to spend time with his friends. They weren’t malicious in not asking him, he was aware. His father kept him on such a tight leash that sometimes, they chose not to ask him to spare him the heartbreak—it still stung.

He’d be okay. He was Adrien Agreste after all. Everything would be okay.

* * *

It was stupid. He _knew_ it was stupid, yet here he was, transforming into Chat to try and contact Ladybug because his chest felt like it was on fire. 

Plagg tried to help the best he could, but it wasn’t enough. Every time he’d be close to tipping over the edge to break the anxiety, it built right back up. 

One, two, three times, he called Ladybug and got no answer. He should have known she wouldn’t be suited up this late at night, but he really hoped she might be. He needed her guidance, her firm yet gentle reassurance. 

She was his anchor—his stability. Without her having to try, she soothed his worries away with light touch on his arm, a playful push of his shoulder. If he were lucky, she’d wrap her arms around him and hug him super tight, pressing her lips to his cheek when she pulled away. 

The ache in his chest tightened thinking about her. He couldn’t remember the last time he had physical touch. His father had kept him out of school for the last week on a business trip to Milan, where he modeled sololly the entire trip. Sure, he had people applying his makeup, pinning clothes to make sure everything stayed in place. Fangirls would try to grab his arm, his hair, anything they could reach—thankfully Gorilla put a stop to that quicker than they could get to him. 

Nathalie and his father weren’t the lovey-dovey guardian types. Him and Nathalie had hugged maybe once or twice in his life and the last time his father hugged him was when he jumped off of the roof after Gorilla had been akumatized. He was fourteen then, and in less than a year, he’d be eighteen.

His last real, physical connection had to have been with Marinette, at school, when she’d hugged him after he’d told their friends he’d be gone for a week. She had wrapped her lithe, yet somehow strong arms around him and wished him luck on his _voyage_. 

She didn’t mention it to him when she tried to pull back and he held her for a little bit longer, relishing in her touch. Before that, he couldn’t remember the last time someone had hugged him. 

At the thought of her, his breathing slowed the tiniest bit. Without hesitating, he vaulted up onto the nearest roof and in the direction of the bakery, running faster than he’d ever run before.

Within minutes, he landed gracefully onto her balcony, sprawling out onto his back with a soft _oof_. He stared dazedly up at the faint visible stars through the broken clouds in the sky, mouth drying up. Flickers of white popped out at him across the sky. 

It made him feel even lonelier, laid out on a balcony that wasn’t his, in a borrowed suit.

The tears started before he could stop them, rolling down his cheeks in big, fat drops. He immediately pulled himself into a sitting position, arms wrapped tightly around his knees. Breathing became more difficult the longer he sat there. His body started to shake as he noisily gasped for air, hands coming up to tug roughly at his hair. 

Fuck. Fuck. _Fuck_ . He was going to die out here on Marinette’s balcony. Everyone was going to find out that Adrien was Chat Noir. His father was going to lose _another_ family member so quickly—

“ _Chat Noir_ ? What are you doing here so late—oh _mon dieu_ , are you okay?” The trapdoor that led to Marinette’s room sprung open, and before he could reply back to her in any way shape or form, he was being tugged downwards, the two of them falling onto her bed. 

Marinette shot upwards to click the trapdoor shut, keeping the cold air from entering her warm quarters. They sat criss-cross on the bed, mirroring one another. In the quietness of her room, Adrien’s shaky breaths were the only thing heard. He could feel her gaze on his face as he tried to calm himself, but to no use. 

“Chat,” she murmured, the back of her hands pressing coolly against his face. “Focus on me, okay?” 

Adrien nodded, licking his dry lips, eyes focused on her. He opened his mouth to speak, only to find a finger covering it. 

“Hush, focus on me,” she reprimanded gently, eyes firm yet gentle. She reminded him of Ladybug in that moment. “We’re going to breathe, okay? Five seconds in, hold for seven seconds, then five seconds out. Focus on my hands.” 

Keeping his eyes locked on her, Adrien nodded again, fists clenching open and shut. Marinette counted off from three, then they began the slow process of opening Adrien’s airways. Her hands brushed away tears from his face after their third round of deep breathing, his lungs slowly feeling as if they were apart of his body. 

“You’re doing so good, Chat,” Marinette whispered encouragingly, one of her hands sliding up to brush his fringe out of his face. Her electric blue eyes were locked with his, and he was hit with the realization of how much he cared—no, _loved_ this girl. 

“Mari, I—” Adrien started breathily, unsure of how to approach the question. He wanted to touch her, to feel her skin against his. His suit prevented that, but he knew detransforming could mean that he’d accidentally reveal himself to her. “ _Mon Dieu_ , how do I even ask this?”

Tilting her head, Marinette was quiet for a minute, eyes searching his. Her eyebrows were furrowed the slightest bit, lips parted. She sucked her lower lip into her mouth, causing Adrien to look away from her, ashamed at himself for following the movement. “Ask away,” she said, her hand toying with his bell. 

“Could I—” he paused, gulping harshly as he stared at her pink walls, hand pattering out a rhythm on his leather-clad thigh. “Could I maybe detransform? The suit kind of protects me from feeling anything, and to be honest, I don’t really feel real right now.” He wasn’t sure if he was explaining himself correctly, his brain still fuzzy from his previous panic. “I just want to feel you,” he settled on, eyes catching hers. 

For a moment, she looked stricken, eyes widening slightly with worry, and she said, “Chat, I don’t know if that’s—”

She probably thought… _Mon Dieu_ . “No, not like _that_ ,” he interrupted her quickly, scrambling backwards until his back was against the wall. “I just— _fuck_ , how is this going so badly?” He sounded miserable, scrubbing a hand over his face, his ears curling inwards like a cat.

If it was even possible, her eyes widened even further. A small, exasperated laugh left her lips. “No, Chat! That’s _not_ what I was thinking, you mangy alley cat! I’m worried about your identity.” 

This girl was too good to be true. How hadn’t he seen this before? “I trust that you won’t look at my face. I trust you more than I do most people,” Adrien admitted almost shyly, not a typical Chat Noir trait. The theme of the night focused on vulnerability, it seemed. 

“Do you trust me more than Ladybug?” Marinette asked him quietly, her eyes cast downward to play with a loose thread on her blanket. 

“You know that’s not a fair question, Princess. Ladybug and I _have_ to have an irrevocable trust in one another for us to be able to be partners. She’s someone I don’t know on a personal level at all, yet I trust her with my life.” Adrien ran a hand through his hair, leaning his head against the wall so he was staring at the ceiling. “Our partnership thrives on trust. If it were ever to be broken, I know we wouldn’t be able to work as well as we do until it was fixed. Not to say she isn’t amazing, because she _is_ one of the bravest and outstanding people I know, but our trust is there because it has to be.” 

He could hear Marinette shifting about on the bed. Before he knew it, she was sitting next to him, leaning slightly into his space. Her shoulder pressed into his. “So you do trust her more than me, then?” 

“Yes, I do,” he answered, truthfully, lowering his head so he could look at her. They were so close to one another. He was surprised when the look on her face was soft, not upset. “I trust her with my life. You, on the other hand?” Pausing, he reached a hand down to grab hers, marveling at how small her hand was in his. “I trust you because I _want_ to, not because I have to.” 

The look on Marinette’s face was one of shock; he wasn’t surprised by it this time. Her eyes flickered down to their hands, leading to a flush on Adrien’s face. She slipped her hand into his, wrapping her free hand around the backside of his. She brought their joined hands up to nuzzle her cheek against his gloved hand, voice slightly hoarse as she muttered, “You have no idea how much that means to me, kitty.” 

“I think I do,” Adrien said cheekily, quirking his eyebrows up and nodding in her direction. The flush on her face was worth it, really. 

“So how are we doing this then?” She let go of his hand, knee-walking in front of him with a small smile on her face. “What’s the best way for me not to see your identity?” 

He wasn’t sure himself how to do this. It word vomited out of his publicity-trained mouth faster than he was used to. He blamed his anxiety—maybe he should talk to somebody about it. Then it hit him, his face pinkening slightly. “I have an idea, but you can totally say no if it’ll weird you out.” 

Rolling her eyes, Marinette crossed her arms over her chest with a small smirk. She was back in her element. “Lay it on me, kitty cat. I’m not as much of a baby as you think I am.” 

“I didn’t say you were a baby,” Adrien replied, holding his clawed hands out in defense, lips quirked up. “I just—come here?” 

The gears were turning in her brain as she shuffled towards him, Adrien noticed. He also noticed that her hair was down, something he hadn’t seen in a while. He’d be lying if he said it didn’t take his breath away. Marinette had gotten even more beautiful as she’d grown up, body curving out wonderfully. Freckles dotted along the bridge of her nose, her cheeks, some on her shoulders where her shirt was slipping from being too big. He wanted to map out the constellations with his fingertips. Her face had lost its baby fat, high cheekbones settling against her pale skin. Her pink, plump lips tempted him, so he instead chose to reach his hand out and shakily brush a strand of her hand behind her ear. 

When she was close enough, he sat with his legs out on either side of her, enough room for her to sit between them. He gauged her reaction, smiling brightly when she nodded confidently in his direction, and maneuvered her so she had a leg on either side of him. It wasn’t a sexual position, not really. It was more of a couples position, no doubt. 

Both of their cheeks were pink. Adrien was never _this_ intimate with anyone; Kagami and him had barely made it passed kissing when he dated her all those years ago. There were a few other unimportant girls that vied for his heart, some throwing themselves on him, but they just weren’t who he wanted. 

It scared him to think that Marinette could finally be the person taking that spot from her. From Ladybug, who he couldn’t stop thinking about, even all these years later. Sure, his love for her had lessened—turned into a steady flame, rather than an out of control wildfire, but he could never see any of the girls he had dated surpassing her in his heart, even if it wasn’t overpowering. 

Marinette had that potential, looking at her sitting across from him, face ever-so bashful. She was their everyday Ladybug, after all. 

“Okay,” Adrien whispered quietly, heart stammering at how close she was to him. He could _feel_ her fidgeting slightly, before she placed her arms tentatively on his shoulders. “I’m going to detransform now, okay? Close your eyes, the transformation light is kind of bright.” 

Of course, Marinette did as she was told, squeezing his shoulders gently in reassurance, and Adrien somehow got out, “Plagg, claws in.” His detransformation light blinded the otherwise dim room, releasing his kwami and his own clothes sported his body. Plagg flew off somewhere, quiet, which was unlike him.

The first thing he noticed was how warm he was with Marinette sitting across from him. Her body heat radiated directly onto him, even though he could feel her cold fingers through the thickness of his hoodie—thankful he went back to change prior to his visit. The jackets and scarf would’ve overheated him in the already-warm room. 

Secondly, he noted that she had her head tucked down, staring idly at his stomach. Nothing special was there, he knew that, but she was keeping true to what he also knew. She was trustworthy and cared about him. His heart fluttered for a second time within the last few minutes. 

“Holy shit, you’re warm,” he blurted out to her, unable to stop himself from leaning forward and burying his face into the expanse of her neck. He felt her relax, her cool hands sliding into the back of his hoodie to press against his heated skin. 

“I’m freezing, Chat,” she supplied with a small laugh, in a teasing voice. They both knew how he meant it, and that was what mattered in the end. 

Adrien’s arms rose to wrap around her waist, tugging her body against his own. He wasn’t thinking, no, he couldn’t think. She was so _warm_ and she was letting him be vulnerable with her. She trusted him enough to let him hold her like this, because she knew he needed it. He couldn’t stop the tears leaking from his eyes, soaking into her skin. 

“Don’t you dare cry on me,” Marinette said in a small voice, one of her hands coming up to card through his hair at the nape of his neck. “I’ll start crying and then we’ll both be a mess.” 

“You didn’t cry before,” Adrien murmured back, a bit petulantly, his hands clutching the back of her shirt. Her being with him kept the panic from rising in him, yet the tears still flowed onto her neck. 

“You were panicking! I didn’t have time to even think about crying, you stupid cat!” She tugged gently on his hair, before resuming her hand movements, scratching at the back of his head. 

The purr that left Adrien’s body was automatic—so was him curling into her, him nearly pulling her fully onto his lap. He stopped himself, rubbing his nose along the crease of her neck. “Don’t tease me,” he grumbled out sourly, in between his purring. 

“I wouldn’t,” Marinette supplied gently, free hand drawing lazy circles into the back of his neck. “Not now, at least. Not when you’re upset.” 

“M’not upset,” Adrien tried, feeling the tears reform in his eyes. He’s usually so good and keeping in his emotions, and Marinette’s bringing them out of him like it’s nothing. Maybe it’s the coddling, or maybe it’s simply because she’s Marinette and she cares with everything in her. 

A snort left her lips, then she replied very sarcastically, “And I’m a superhero, kitty.” Her fingers paused on his neck, before she rushed out, “Don’t even think about counting Multimouse—”

“You know me so well,” he choked out, trying to blink back tears, rubbing his hands along her spine. “How do I talk about it? It’s so _stupid_.” 

“Listen to me right now, Chat. Your feelings are not stupid. If it was enough to make you panic and cry the way you did, the way you _are_ , it’s valid. Regardless—they’re valid, and I’ll keep telling you until you believe me.” 

A sob escaped his lips at her words and her grip on him tightened. He couldn’t help it. No one had cared about him like this in so long. He got the occasional ‘you okay?’’s from his friends, from Nathalie, looks from Gorilla that saw through his pain. He always knew Marinette wanted to ask more than she did, but she respected his privacy, keeping him at arm's length. 

If he knew how she was now back then, he would’ve whisked her off her feet ages ago. 

“Alright, alright,” he conceded, after he calmed down a little bit. “I just… I feel so lonely, all of the time, which sounds so ungrateful, I know,” he rushed out the end part quickly, before speaking again, “I just can’t help it. My friends are amazing, and I love spending time with them, but I barely get to with how overprotective my guardian is. Between work, school, him, and being Chat Noir, all of my relationships are pretty bare-boned.” 

“Oh kitty,” she whispered in his ear, nose pressing into his hair. “I’m so sorry, you deserve so much more than that.” 

Adrien squeezed her gently in thanks, before continuing with his story, “And today, I saw a few of my friends hanging out, which is awesome! But it made me so _sad_ seeing them there without me. I know they don’t always invite me to save me the heartache when I can’t come, but I wish I could’ve been there.” He paused for a moment, playing with the hair that grazed his fingertips. 

“To make matters worse, I couldn’t even go up to them to say _hi_ because I didn’t want to interrupt their fun with how I was feeling. I know they wouldn’t have minded too, but I just, I couldn’t—” He cut himself off, allowing a few tears to break free. 

“I barely have a relationship with my guardian. I see him once or twice a week at most. He doesn’t eat dinner with me. He schedules _appointments_ for us to eat and then doesn’t show half the time. If I need to talk to him, I have to schedule an appointment with him. It’s so unfair.” Adrien’s voice withered out at the end, his lips pressing into her skin to feel her warmth. 

It calmed him, allowing him to breathe, before he realized what he did. “I’m sorry,” Adrien whispered pathetically, squeezing his eyes shut. He felt Marinette lean down and press a kiss into his head, hushing him. Once more, he relaxed. 

“Chat Noir, listen to me right now,” Marinette told him in a shaky, but firm voice. It sounded like she herself was crying, and Adrien wanted to lift his head up, say _fuck identities_ , and wipe her tears away. He kept his face pressed against her neck. “If you are ever feeling lonely, sad, upset, _fuck_ , even just want to talk to someone… you come here, okay? My door is always open for you, kitty.” 

_My door is always open for you, kitty._ The words rang in his ears, shuffled through his mind and implanted themselves down into his heart. “Marinette, close your eyes,” he blurted out. 

“Kitty, what are you on about—” 

“Do you trust me?” He interrupted her, hands splaying out flat onto her back, drumming a rhythm against her clothed-skin. “If you trust me, close your eyes.” 

“But why—” The beautiful girl in front of him stopped herself for a minute before she continued, “Alright, my eyes are closed.” 

Within a second, Adrien lifted his head from her neck and brushed his nose against Marinette’s, his hand sliding up to cup her cheek. Their breaths intermingled with one another’s, and he could hear the slightest gasp leave her lips. 

“Can I kiss you, Princess?” Adrien breathed, their lips so close to catching, but he needed to hear her say it. He wasn’t going to kiss her unless she wanted it too—

“Chat…” His name left Marinette’s mouth in a near whimper,. She surged forward to kiss him, nearly knocking him over in the process. Her lips felt better than anyone he’d ever kissed before. They felt _familiar_ which was weird, but he pushed the thought of his mind, eyes slipping shut soundly. 

Lifting her slightly, he laid her down on the bed without stopping their kiss, using one of his elbows to keep him supported on top of her. He planned on keeping the kiss sweet, not knowing if he could handle anymore than that. He wanted, no, _needed_ to be closer to her, though. 

Marinette tilted her head slightly and then their lips were sliding together perfectly, in sync and the best bliss Adrien’s ever experienced. Her cool hands slid under his shirt, raking across the entirety of his back, making Adrien’s back arch into the touch. She laughed against his mouth, scratching one of her nails along his spine. 

“Fuck, Mari,” Adrien groaned against her lips, reluctantly dragging his mouth away from hers. 

The girl in front of him whined, blindly chasing his mouth, her lips ended up on the corner of his. “No fair! I can’t see your lips,” Marinette grumbled out, her lower lip jutting out into a pout. 

“You’re so cute,” Adrien blabbed, a genuine laugh leaving his mouth, his cheeks pinking up at his word-vomit. “What I meant to say was, uh, fuck, ignore me.” 

“Yeah, yeah, try to make me forget it all you want, kitty. I heard you.” A smirk formed where her pout had been previously, and his heart swelled as he stared down at her, watching her eyelids not even _flutter_ to look at him. 

Most of Paris would jump at the chance to know who Chat Noir was, to kiss him and to be able to tell others about it. Here she was, respecting his privacy, after them having just kissed. It amazed him to no end how effortlessly amazing she was, at how much she did for others before she did for herself. He wanted to keep her, to give her everything he could in life. 

His thoughts were a mess. He came here tonight needing comfort from a friend— _good_ friend of his, to finally figure out why he’d always felt the tiniest bit different about her. It was a simmering feeling that slowly morphed into this beautiful flame, one that rivaled Ladybug’s. 

“Yeah,” Adrien ended up relenting, brushing his lips across her rosy cheeks. “Alright, you’re right. You’re pretty dang cute, Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” 

And when Adrien finally had to leave that night, after a few more hours of them kissing and talking on and off, his mental health felt exponentially better than what it had earlier. He finally had someone there for him, whether what they had grew into something more or not.

So much so, that he didn’t notice when a certain lucky charm Marinette had made him years ago fell out of his hoodie pocket prior to him transforming. It laid on her bed, essentially an identity reveal in itself. 

All he could worry about was how her lips felt against his as he vaulted home that night.

**Author's Note:**

> There will be an eventual second story added to this with a full identity reveal but this can also be read as a stand-alone! Please let me know what you think!!! 
> 
> tumblr: multibug


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